Features of Ductular Reaction in Rats with Extrahepatic Cholestasis

Ductular reaction develops during liver regeneration, fibrosis, and carcinogenesis. However, the types, stages of formation, and topography of ductular profiles in various pathologies remain insufficiently studied. Using the model of common bile duct occlusion, we showed that the number and topography of ductular profiles are closely related to the duration of biliary obstruction. The ductular profiles can be located inside the portal tract, along the existing bile ducts, and/or intramurally, around the portal vein, periportally, inside the lobules, in the portocaval fibrous connections, in the adventitia of the hepatic veins, in the septs connecting the portal tracts, and also in the "portal plate" of the liver. The ductular profiles can be formed as a result of expansion of existing bile ducts, cholangiocyte proliferation, as well as transdifferentiation of hepatocytes and activation of mesenchymal stem cells.